The invention relates to hearing aids, and more particularly relates to hearing aids of the type which respond to changes of noise levels in the user's sound environment.
It is known that the performance of a hearing aid improves when its frequency response changes with the ambient noise level. This can be done, for example, by monitoring the sound environment for the presence of low-frequency sounds, which are present in noisy environments. In devices of this type, the frequency response of the hearing aid is changed so that the device becomes less responsive to low-frequency sounds as those sounds become louder, and vice versa. This blocks out the noise and improves intelligibility for the user.
However, these known devices are difficult to use. This is because known hearing aids respond to short-duration sounds, thereby causing uncomfortable rapid fluctuations of the signal level when the noise level changes.
It would be advantageous to provide a hearing aid which provided a noise suppression feature that was nonetheless comfortable for a user.
One object of the invention is to provide a hearing aid which has a variable frequency response to improve intelligibility in high noise environments which is nonetheless comfortable for use.
Another object is, in general, to improve on known devices of this type.